Games generate home energy savings

Make energy efficiency a game and you can save money.

Energy Efficiency

Energy Battle gameAn approach to cutting domestic energy consumption based on playing a game – Energy Battle – can lead to household savings of up to 45 percent on electricity consumption and lead to better energy-saving habits, says a study published in the Journal of Design Research.

Researchers at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands evaluated an energy-saving game in 20 student households; while playing the Energy Battle game, families got feedback on energy usage, ranking of the competing teams, and tips.

The aim of the game was to find ways to reduce energy consumption such as switching off unnecessary lights, using energy-saving bulbs, and unplugging electrical equipment rather than leaving it in standby.

During the Energy Battle, the student households were able to cut their energy consumption on average by 25 percent. However, the most efficient household was able to cut their energy use almost in half (45 percent). Once the game was over, energy use in most of the households increased but remained below the baseline recorded prior to starting the game.

In follow-up interviews researchers found that some participants had changed their energy-use habits, but the researchers suggest that now is the time to see whether the “gamification” of energy efficiency can be exploited for long-term reductions in fuel consumption and whether the same approach might work for domestic environments other than student households.

Kid’s KornerLearn more about electricity, what it is, how to stay safe around it, how to save energy … and more at Kid’s Korner. By using some of the tips on this site, you might create your own Energy Battle techniques to saving energy in your home.